Well, at least she reads?

#1 Jitty

WTF is wrong with this kid?! What a spoiled brat!

Aug 29, 2012 at 3:56 pm rating: 136 small thumbs up

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#1.1 redheadwglasses

I agree! A kid who says “duh” to me will not like the consequences!

Aug 29, 2012 at 3:57 pm rating: 114
#1.2 Jitty

Ok, to be fair, I don’t have kids. But I can’t imagine having this sort of relationship with one. I just understand how this happens.

Aug 29, 2012 at 3:59 pm rating: 19
#1.3 twhit

I don’t have kids either, but have worked with kids ages 5-12 for years. Most of the letters that kids write to their parents that show up here I think are funny and a normal way that a child might express themselves, even if it’s bratty (because kids are self-centered, we’re all born that way and have to learn to care about others).
Having said that, this kid sounds like a spoiled brat. There’s nothing cute here, only an entitled kid who needs to have her Kindle taken away, and when she gets it back should work to earn the money to pay for the book.

Aug 29, 2012 at 8:39 pm rating: 104
#1.4 KimH

I think not only would the Kindle be removed, but she’d play heck getting it back. If she were my kid, she’d be dependent on any physical reading material in the house, or possibly the library, for her reading pleasure.

I wonder if Miss Manners ever wrote a children’s book?

Aug 30, 2012 at 8:43 pm rating: 14

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#2 shwo! bang

“I want an Oompa Loompa now!“

Aug 29, 2012 at 4:07 pm rating: 199 small thumbs up

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#2.1 WRPrintz

Well, I want a Golden Goose!

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:48 pm rating: 19
#2.2 JK

Tell that mother “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.”

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:48 pm rating: 17
#2.3 aliceblue

Liquor is probably how she ended up with the brat to begin with.

Aug 29, 2012 at 11:10 pm rating: 30
#2.4 The Elf

I want a bean feast!

Aug 30, 2012 at 7:08 am rating: 11

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#3 Lola

I think someone needs to lose THEIR Kindle privileges.

Aug 29, 2012 at 4:33 pm rating: 103 small thumbs up

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#3.1 Poltergeist

How much do you wanna bet that within the next week, there will be a video on Youtube of Samantha’s cowboy hat-wearing father obliterating the Kindle with a shotgun.

Aug 29, 2012 at 7:57 pm rating: 44

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#4 lala

your kid is an asshole.

Aug 29, 2012 at 4:46 pm rating: 91 small thumbs up

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#5 QBall

Probably a Lib

Aug 29, 2012 at 4:51 pm rating: 8 small thumbs up

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#5.1 Fromunda

Probably. Conservative kids would never have a Kindle. They’re too illiterate.

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:45 pm rating: 264
#5.2 WRPrintz

That sense of entitlement? That sense of I have mine and now I want you to give me more? That is pure Republican. No Liberal or Conservative I know would act like that- Conservatives would make due with what they had until they could buy it themselves. Liberals would want to give everyone a copy. No Conservatives exist inside the Republican Party which is all about giving folks who have billions, more money for free while we all pay for their ride. That girl clearly is a Republican.

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:52 pm rating: 105
#5.3 Guin

Fromunda, I think I love you.

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:53 pm rating: 20
#5.4 shepd

So glad to live in Canada where none of those parties are what they are in the US (or just plain don’t exist).

Also, just vote libertarian and then you can laugh at everyone else when they complain that party A or B is better than party B or A, because they’re all crap.

Aug 29, 2012 at 7:16 pm rating: 18
#5.5 Poltergeist

Now Fromunda, let’s not make unfounded claims about their literacy. Peek into any Republican household and I’m sure you’ll find the kids engrossed in either the Bible or the new Glenn Beck book.

Aug 29, 2012 at 7:49 pm rating: 52
#5.6 Djagir

This thread does make me wonder exactly _who_ it is that has all the “coexist” and “hate is not a family value” bumper stickers. It’s apparently not the people here.

Aug 30, 2012 at 12:25 am rating: 23
#5.7 The Elf

The kid is a kid – political leanings are rather irrelevant.

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:20 am rating: 50
#5.8 Danielle

This isn’t a matter of politics, it is a matter of bad parenting. There is plenty of that on both sides of the aisle. In one way, I applaud this mother for raising a daughter who is unafraid of speaking her mind, however, there definitely needs to be some lessons in respect and in gratitude given in this household. If it were me, she wouldn’t HAVE that kindle for a while, until she learned some manners, and she could do some household chores to pay for her own books in the future. No child will DEMAND things from me.

Aug 30, 2012 at 10:31 am rating: 40
#5.9 Omnivore

Nope, we don’t turn our kids into asshats.
We use the library instead of closing them down.

Aug 30, 2012 at 9:31 pm rating: 20
#5.10 Captain Hampton

It’s funny because it is disparaging about the political party that I don’t agree with!

Aug 31, 2012 at 3:05 pm rating: 15
#5.11 Karen H

Guess what? I’m a conservative who has never read or listened to Glenn Beck. Bible in my house? Yep. Oddly enough, we have lots of books, though no Kindles or Nooks. Any sense of entitlement my illiterate children might have would be dealt with, and it wouldn’t be by beating them (as we all know conservative, Bible-reading parents do).

It’s ridiculous how quickly any discussion ends up about politics these days. Really, people? This is how you spend your days? Thinking of ways to turn a passive/aggressive notes comment board into a name-calling, political issue?

Sep 2, 2012 at 5:49 pm rating: 25

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#6 Saph

I wonder if their mother will give in. If the kids are that spoiled already, my guess is yes.

Aug 29, 2012 at 4:58 pm rating: 29 small thumbs up

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#6.1 Vickie

The point is she can’t give in, the book hasn’t been released yet. Which is apparently something the kid had a bit of trouble understanding.

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:44 pm rating: 48

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#7 UHOH

Bad parenting alert. There’s nothing cute about a kid this entitled who gets away with disrespecting her mom this way. Wake up and discipline your child before she can’t be helped.

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:31 pm rating: 99 small thumbs up

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#7.1 Joanna M.

Seriously, being that entitled, she might grow up and become a corporate CEO or a politician! Shudder.

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:51 pm rating: 13
#7.2 Xyzzy

THIS. It’s not “cute” or “funny” when a kid is being an obnoxious, entitled brat… At minimum I hope the mother took the brat’s e-reader away and let her *earn* it back, and I suspect this is one of the few times where the kid would benefit from a few swats on the butt.

Aug 29, 2012 at 6:30 pm rating: 40
#7.3 Vulpis

Sad thing is, a kid this entitled–if they’re disciplined in any form (such as taking away ‘her’ Kindle), they’re going to try to cry abuse to Child Services.

Sep 3, 2012 at 4:01 pm rating: 3

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#8 ae

The “it’s MY Kindle you know” line would have gotten me the “oh, did you pay for it with your own money?” line from my parents if I’d said that to them.

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:45 pm rating: 105 small thumbs up

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#8.1 The Elf

Yes, along with “Buy the book yourself, then. Oh, you don’t have any money? I guess you aren’t getting the book.”

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:22 am rating: 50
#8.2 Mawwd

I’ve never understood parents who give children presents (birthday, christmas, hannukah, everything else) but don’t actually “give” kids the presents – they still act like the items are theirs. Just because you bought it with your money doesn’t make it still yours when you give it away. You never tell a friend “well -I- bought you those sneakers, you didn’t buy them yourself!” and take them back, do you? If you say kids shouldn’t be really given items because they’re kids and as parents you own them and everything they do or something, how can you expect them to take on adult responsibilities if you don’t treat them like an adult?

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:55 pm rating: 31
#8.3 csmithy

Adult responsibility is earning your own keep, which means earning those special ticket items. I think a parent can (and should) “give” under the pretense that the “gifted” item is NOT, in fact, really a gift, but just an allowance to use. My brother used to try to sell really expensive items my mom “gave” him, so she stopped giving him things. He just got the privilege of using them.

Aug 30, 2012 at 2:44 pm rating: 16
#8.4 Mawwd

You earn presents? I’ve never encountered that before. Presents are something given out of pure goodwill…obviously you’re more likely to give a present to someone you like, but where is “earning” a prereqisite in gift-giving? I think we don’t give gifts on the same wavelength, here. I give a gift and it’s gone. They can do anything they want with it. If they didn’t like the painting, they can smash it – that’s their perogative. I don’t get this “you need to earn presents” and “I get a say in what you do with it after I’ve given it away” stuff…

Also, it sounds like your brother didn’t like the gifts he was given and would have preferred money. From the surface exaplanation I don’t really see the problem, but that’s my method of gift giving. I would’ve jut given him a $50 as a present after that and called it a day – it would’ve been obvious that I had no idea what he really wanted, and money’s better for that.

Sep 3, 2012 at 4:34 pm rating: 5
#8.5 ae

Yeah, but giving your friend (or kid, or anyone) a present isn’t, or shouldn’t be, a license for them to be an ungrateful dick about it or make further demands on you. When my parents gave me presents, it was with the understanding that they did so because they loved me, not with the understanding that the next thing out of my mouth should be “But I wanted THIS” or “If you don’t give me this accessory for the thing you already gave me, I’m going to be a snotty, whiny brat about it until you cave.”

The “Oh, did you pay for it?” line was also an object lesson about where, in fact, things come from. I learned pretty early on that MY stuff came from the fact that my mom and dad busted their asses to set aside money for gifts (and did so because they loved me) and my presents didn’t come from AE’s Tree of Things She’s Entitled To Have Because She’s AE.

Sep 5, 2012 at 1:06 pm rating: 21

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#9 Anna

“It’s my kindle”???

Well, I suppose if she worked and earned $100, she can afford to be a brat to the tooth fairy…

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:46 pm rating: 16 small thumbs up

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#9.1 kermit

Don’t give the kid any ideas, Anna. Before you know it, she’ll borrow her dad’s pliers and help things along for all the kids in the neighbourhood.

Aug 29, 2012 at 11:36 pm rating: 8

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#10 rf

Dear Samantha:

I have decided to use your kindle as a frisbee for the dog. When you decide to come out of your room, you can find it outside in the puddle of water (it rained last night, sorry).

Love,
Your parents

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:48 pm rating: 86 small thumbs up

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#10.1 Jitty

Can I suggest this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1ujzRidmU

Aug 29, 2012 at 6:16 pm rating: 0
#10.2 Fireseeker

Dear Samantha,

I have decided to use your Kindle as kindling. You can find it melting in the bonfire in the back yard. If you still want that book, the library’s only a few miles down the road. Have fun on your walk!

Love,
An unconcerned parent

Aug 30, 2012 at 8:35 am rating: 33

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#11 Amber

There’s something about a little kid having a Kindle that boggles me. I guess it’s not the same as giving them a cell phone, but it’s still weird. That might be because my childhood came just before the computer age, though. And I would have gotten a well-deserved smack for giving that kind of attitude to my parents.

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:51 pm rating: 42 small thumbs up

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#11.1 Xyzzy

Nah… There was a computer (TI 99/4a) in my family’s home by the time I was three or four years old, and I was given a used Apple IIgs for 8th grade graduation — yet even I figure a kid under age 11 is better off if there’s a “family” computer, e-reader, etc. to share rather than having their own. My mother would’ve spanked me with the wooden spoon and sent me to my room for the rest of the day if I’d acted like that.

Aug 29, 2012 at 6:42 pm rating: 18
#11.2 The Elf

If the kid is a big reader – and being current on the expansive Warriors series implies that she is – an e-reader can be both a money and a space saving device. But it would hinge on whether she was the kind of person naturally careful with her stuff. I was a voracious reader who constantly had to cycle through my book collection to have room for it all (and I still do), but it would have only taken a month or two before I managed to drop the e-reader in the bath.

At least paper books don’t break that easily. And when they do, you can tape them back together.

I could totally see giving a Kindle to the right kid.

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:26 am rating: 25
#11.3 Clumber

It was the spankin’ new TRS-80 when I was in 5th grade. And I am still on restriction for having reprogrammed the Eliza Psychotherapist game to have much more interesting (to a 5th grader…) answers. The program came on a cassette tape. You had to tape over the holes to overcome the analog version of “read only”.
A couple years ago I asked my dad if I was still on restriction until I am 50. He asked me to remind him what I’d done. I hadn’t finished reminding him before he interrupted me with, “You’re damn right you are still on restriction! That was an expensive game!”
February 2018 I can stop acting like an anti-social shut-in.

Aug 30, 2012 at 3:55 pm rating: 47
#11.4 Kirsty

I agree. A ‘family Kindle’ would mean only one person in the family could read at a time. Not that I personally would like a kindle – I prefer paper books. But if she likes it and takes care of it, why not? (Although confiscation for her attitude would be very reasonable)

Aug 30, 2012 at 4:03 pm rating: 6
#11.5 dancingnancy

I gave my daughter a Kindle for her 7th birthday. That was 2 years ago June. Best gift I ever gave her. It’s not about the age; it’s about the kid. (The 16-year-old does NOT have a Kindle.)

Aug 30, 2012 at 9:14 pm rating: 19
#11.6 L

My friend has a kindle for her 8 year old. Her daughter has both autism and OCD. She reads dozens more books now than she did before. My friend thinks it’s partly because, like her mother, she doesn’t like the way the pages feel. They REALLY set off my friend’s OCD and although she loves reading, she really can’t handle paper books anymore. My friend can also pre-read and moniter what her daughter reads because they share a library.

Sep 15, 2012 at 10:43 am rating: 3

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#12 kat

they have these wonderful places where normal children spend their childhood.. libraries… go there now before books can no longer free you from your ignorance spoiled little girl

Aug 29, 2012 at 5:52 pm rating: 34 small thumbs up

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#12.1 The Elf

I loved my local library way back when I was a kid. I rode my bike there and would spend many summer days soaking up the AC and reading book after book. I’d reserve the latest sci-fi/fantasy books and get recommendations from the librarians. It was on of my favorite places to be.

But my local library now bears little resemblance to the library of my youth. It’s populated with LOUD patrons. There’s lots of activity – no quiet sanctuary. The book supply has dwindled, replaced with other kinds of media. The hours have been cut so I can’t even get there on the weekdays and Saturdays are the loudest and busiest of them all.

I buy books now, or borrow them from friends.

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:30 am rating: 26
#12.2 dave

Libraries are pretty much a relic of a bygone era nowadays. I know that people are (understandably) nostalgic about them, and I know that people defend libraries as though they are vital to a civilised society. I can’t really see them surviving, in bulk, for more than a handful of decades. The availability of internet access, and the amount of content available online is making them financially unviable. It upsets people, but when pushed, is there really anybody who thinks that keeping libraries open is the best use of government money?
Even the libraries that are currently thriving seem to have turned into ‘internet cafes’ and DVD rental stores.

Aug 30, 2012 at 7:40 am rating: 9
#12.3 angela

Dave, are you kidding? Yeah, there is a lot of stuff online. There is a HUGE amount more that is locked behind pay-walls, and even more that is in print that has not been digitized.

Yes, I do think that keeping libraries open is an important use of government money — at least if you want an actual democracy of informed voters. That doesn’t guarantee they’ll all be informed, but it guarantees that the ones who want to be informed have access to the resources needed to stay informed.

Sadly, in the current political climate, when budget cut season comes around, libraries are easy targets. Librarians tend to be too damned nice, and they don’t employ lobbyists like a lot of interest groups. And that means dwindling book supplies, cut hours, etc. If everyone in the community voted for a library tax increase (a bond issue with the money going to the library, not to a general fund) of less than the cost of one new print book, you could have a lot of hours and services back. But when you don’t have the money to pay staff to keep the place open, you HAVE to cut hours. And when you can’t pay staff to keep the place open, you’re not going to have much to spend on books, either.

Aug 30, 2012 at 8:05 am rating: 41
#12.4 Val

Libraries are vital to a civilized society. They provide vital services found no where else in the community. Contrary to popular opinion, not everyone owns a computer or has internet access. Libraries provide these plus newspapers, periodicals, actual books, ESL services, literacy training, computer training, and reference staff. Perhaps little Miss Kindle should be relegated to borrowing her book from the local library instead of purchasing it. That is if her library has the money for e-books.

Aug 30, 2012 at 8:29 am rating: 40
#12.5 The Elf

Libraries are vital, no question. I’m not sure if I’d say they’re more vital than other locally-funded institutions like emergency services, but certainly they’re on the list of “proper use of public funds”. In these hard times, they’re taking a hit. But then again, so is everything else.

That said, libraries have changed significantly since my youth (80s). They’ve become community centers. That’s fine – I’m sure it is a good way to draw people in – but in doing so they’ve lost me.

Aug 30, 2012 at 8:40 am rating: 9
#12.6 Bookmark

I loved riding my bike to the library and going through books for hours when I was a kid! Admittedly, I do have a Kindle now (my husband bought it for me, saying we no longer have room in our tiny house for me to buy any more books in printed form! I wasn’t sure at first, but now I love how light and slim it is, and that I can read in bed without my arms hurting as they did when I’d bring huge hardbacks to bed!) and I love having access to my entire library without having to heave around a heavy backpack. Still, the library is definitely something I want my kids to experience (if I have kid, that is).

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:33 pm rating: 6
#12.7 H for Toy

Holy moly, Bookmark, we’re twins! Except I’m the twin who already has kids – who go to the library. Do you find that you still have quite a few boxes of books in storage in your tiny little house, despite the Kindle, or is that just me?

Aug 30, 2012 at 7:16 pm rating: 3
#12.8 Toni

I never thought I’d like an e-reader because I love the smell and feel of real books. BUT, vacation time you can take 1,000s of books with you or download the next in a series. Wonderful instant gratification. I changed my mind and I have more room on my bookshelves and I don’t have to give away any of my books.

Aug 30, 2012 at 7:21 pm rating: 4
#12.9 dave

I knew that comment would get a lot of responses! I’m not saying libraries are totally defunct yet, and there will maybe always be a place for big libraries with huge archives of rare and obscure content. I just don’t think that local community libraries, carrying easily available Kindle fiction, and less up-to-date/less-in-depth reference material than can be found online for free, are steadily going to be phased out. There surely isn’t enough demand any more. Even some of the people who protest closures readily admit they haven’t been to the library in years.

Aug 31, 2012 at 5:17 am rating: 2
#12.10 Trainer

Dave, what do you recommend for the families that cannot afford to purchase Kindles, yet their children still need to write research papers? In no way would my teachers have found it acceptable to use solely online sources, and in no way would I expect them to now. Added to which, there was a very large portion of my own life where we literally could not afford to get the internet at our house. Phasing out libraries is just another way of telling the impoverished that there is no way to improve themselves or their economic situations, because education for them is not a priority.

Sep 1, 2012 at 10:44 am rating: 12
#12.11 Ashes

Agreed. I just graduated from college (on a loan), and all of my profs demanded I use non-internet resources. Without the library, I never would have been able to finish school, as I couldn’t even afford the basics and ended up borrowing/renting textbooks or making due with used old editions.

Sep 7, 2012 at 11:48 pm rating: 1

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#13 NayNay

Oh hell no. If my daughter wrote me a note like that, I would take “her” Kindle and give it to someone who might be a little more appreciative. My kid doesn’t have a Kindle, though, and she’s not a spoiled brat. Thank God!

Aug 29, 2012 at 6:00 pm rating: 32 small thumbs up

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#14 Greg House

Jeez, what a brat! Someone needs to be dealt a dose of reality and have that Kindle taken away from her. I’d make her haul her spoiled butt down to the library until she learned to be grateful that she is able to have a Kindle…

Aug 29, 2012 at 6:30 pm rating: 14 small thumbs up

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#15 scott hall

If this kid has computers and shit why isn’t the note an email?

Aug 29, 2012 at 6:37 pm rating: 25 small thumbs up

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#15.1 Lis

LOL!

Aug 29, 2012 at 8:49 pm rating: 2

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#16 Poltergeist bang

I never thought it could happen, but Samantha has managed to soil the beauty of a child wanting to read. We are in the presence of a prodigy.

Aug 29, 2012 at 6:46 pm rating: 61 small thumbs up

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#17 Smokey

Dear accidental pregnancy,

Hope you enjoy the foster home! Leave the kindle on the kitchen table.

Never again,

“Mom”

Aug 29, 2012 at 6:58 pm rating: 32 small thumbs up

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#18 rubberbiscuit bang

I’m acquainted with Yellowfang, a venerable medicine cat for Thunderclan. Yellowfang would claw that kid to shreds, and then make her put mouse bile on the elders ticks and change their bedding.

Aug 29, 2012 at 7:08 pm rating: 26 small thumbs up

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#19 Rolandito

That kid would be accompanying me to the electronics donation and recycling center the next day, and SHE would be handing it in and asking that it be given to a child who would appreciate the gift.

Aug 29, 2012 at 7:33 pm rating: 22 small thumbs up

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#20 deprogrammed

Y’all pretty much covered it. Thanks.

Aug 29, 2012 at 8:10 pm rating: 4 small thumbs up

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#20.1 Lis

Except for how this has anything to do w/politics. What a hateful bunch.

Aug 29, 2012 at 8:51 pm rating: 16
#20.2 The Elf

I’d say it’s just because of the election and that we’ll return to normal soon enough, but then I remember that this sort of crazy partisanship IS normal now.

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:37 am rating: 5
#20.3 redheadwglasses

I read some political blogs (John Cole, Andrew Sullivan, etc.) and I’ve gone cold turkey until after the election. My psyche just can’t take it.

Aug 30, 2012 at 12:39 pm rating: 6

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#21 Madrias

Sounds like someone needs a good case of low-tech reality.

Take away the Kindle, give it to someone who deserves it more, and make her save up pocket change to get a library card like a normal child.

Don’t give in to the spoiled brats, parents!

Aug 29, 2012 at 9:15 pm rating: 8 small thumbs up

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#21.1 kermit

Er, aren’t library cards free (unless you want to borrow stuff from university libraries)?

Aug 29, 2012 at 11:38 pm rating: 30
#21.2 Clumber

Perhaps the saving up $ was for the ride to the library, or to rent back “her” bike to get to said library? So many options.

Aug 30, 2012 at 3:59 pm rating: 2
#21.3 Madrias

Our public library decided in the face of the cost-cutting that all library cards and card renewals would be $5.

However, it could be considered to be saving for the trip to the library (cab fare) or to rent back/buy a bicycle, or paying the parents to drive her there.

Aug 30, 2012 at 10:25 pm rating: 1

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#22 H for Toy

My dad is the kind of guy who never has to raise his voice to get his point across. In my 35 years of life, he has only done it a total of two times to me…. and both where when I talked to my mom in exactly this manner. I would’ve caught hell for a note like this!

Aug 29, 2012 at 9:29 pm rating: 12 small thumbs up

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#23 Kupo

Wow, people on this site take themselves too seriously. This is your typical childhood ego-centrism and I thought it was pretty funny that the kid thought that just because it was *her* kindle she was entitled to content. Clearly she doesn’t understand how money works or what it means for a book to not be out yet, but that’s probably the lesson she’s starting to learn right now.

Also, I don’t know why everyone is so much against a kid having a kindle. I think it’s a great idea. I used to go through a book or two a week when I was a kid, and I see nothing wrong with giving kids electronics. But then, I don’t gripe about all the stuff “kids today” have because of some jealousy about that stuff not being invented yet in my childhood, much unlike most of the whining I see on this site. I think it’s awesome that new technology is being released and I’m glad for the kids who get to take advantage of it.

*Shrug*

Aug 29, 2012 at 10:09 pm rating: 34 small thumbs up

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#23.1 angie

I agree. Also, kid’s kindle might have been a hand-me-down when mom or dad got a new/upgraded one. Who knows?

Aug 29, 2012 at 10:26 pm rating: 3
#23.2 Jitty

I respectfully disagree. That she is threatening her mom, saying she won’t do what her mom wants until her mom does what she wants is what gets to me, Kindle or no.

Aug 29, 2012 at 10:45 pm rating: 51
#23.3 Jitty

That and the total misunderstanding of what love means. Developmentally, maybe it makes sense for kids to be egocentric. But it also seems like she thinks that love depends on getting what she wants, not nurturance or caring or anything else that makes love happen.

Aug 29, 2012 at 10:50 pm rating: 13
#23.4 kermit

Sorry, but any kid old enough to play with a “grown-up” electronic device instead of the kid toy version should know that she gets all of her stuff because her parents work for money to purchase these things.

Every parent takes their kid shopping with them and is at some point forced to mention “sorry kid, I have to work now” The kid knows damn well how money works.

Aug 29, 2012 at 11:44 pm rating: 25
#23.5 Kirsty

I don’t have a problem with a child having a kindle. I do have a problem with a child acting that way towards her mum. The “Duh” especially.
Kids are naturally egocentric when very young. This child is not very young.

Aug 30, 2012 at 4:08 pm rating: 10
#23.6 dancingnancy

How old is she? I didn’t see that anywhere.

Aug 30, 2012 at 9:20 pm rating: 0
#23.7 The Elf

The Warriors series is intended for ages 10 and up. (Up including, oh, late thirties. It’s a good series of books). Let’s assume she’s precocious, and lower that down to 7 years old. I think as young as 7 would be a reasonable assumption.

Aug 31, 2012 at 6:19 am rating: 6

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#24 aliceblue

Yes the kid is a brat and the I won’t do what you want deserves cooking whatever the kids hates most for the next couple of dinners. However, as one who neither has or wants kids, I am looking at the “threat” not to leave her room until Oct. as a delightful promise.

Aug 29, 2012 at 11:17 pm rating: 24 small thumbs up

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#25 Adriana

I can’t even imagine saying this to my mother. She would’ve killed me. I had a surprising amount of freedom as a child, but disrespect was the one thing she never tolerated. I think I would’ve found the Kindle in broken pieces when I got home from school.

Aug 30, 2012 at 12:19 am rating: 11 small thumbs up

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#25.1 Ashes

Same, but my Mom woulda found a kid whose parents had less money and made me physically hand it over to them, giftwrapped.

Sep 7, 2012 at 11:53 pm rating: 2

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#26 shell

My god. All of you people think you are so high and mighty, and obviously don’t remember what being a kid is like.

But regardless, show me one adult here who never used the exact tactic to get what he or she wants. Grown ups do this all the time! In close relationship, too. To say this girl needs to be threatened or shocked in order to teach her a lesson just proves you are exactly like the little girl, wanting to punish her mom by threatening to love her less.

I would suggest growing and, but I see it’s probably futile.

Aug 30, 2012 at 2:09 am rating: 15 small thumbs up

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#26.1 Hermitknut

I’m twenty-one. I remember quite well what being a kid was like. And I agree with everyone else on here! As a child I would have found what this kid has said quite shocking, to be honest. And any adult who uses this kind of tactic has problems! On one level it is kind of funny, but this kid needs to learn that you don’t demand things from other people. You’re entitled to food, shelter, freedom and emotional support, not the book you wanted.

Also, teaching the kid a lesson by punishing her is not threatening to love her less. How much a parent loves their child shouldn’t have anyhing to do with punishing the for their wrongdoings.

HK

Aug 30, 2012 at 5:37 am rating: 37
#26.2 kermit

Shell, I would love to know in what workplace this kind of temper tantrum is considered acceptable, consequence-free behavior.

If any adult treated me this way in a business setting, I would have no qualms about terminating that relationship ASAP. Anybody in my personal life who emotionally manipulates me to do something is effectively just asking me to dump them from my life.

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:43 am rating: 33
#26.3 aliceblue

Grow up? No way! You’re not my mom; you can’t make me! And stop looking at this post, it’s mine. (See, I do remember what it’s like).

Aug 30, 2012 at 11:26 am rating: 15
#26.4 The Elf

Moooooommmm!! My brother took my Kindle and now I can’t read the new Warriors book!!

I remember childhood just fine, thanks.

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:26 pm rating: 4
#26.5 Madrias

20 years old here, full well remember being a child. Dad would have tanned my hide if I’d decided to leave a note like that.

Aug 30, 2012 at 10:28 pm rating: 8
#26.6 Mare

Kermit, you do realize you’re on Passive-Aggressive Notes, right? A site dedicated to people of all ages throwing tantrums via paper. Adults are simply usually much better at hiding how overt their tantrums are.

Aug 31, 2012 at 6:48 pm rating: 3
#26.7 Rainne

I never did! My dad would’ve beaten me black and blue and then taken whatever the item in question was and destroyed it.

Sep 1, 2012 at 10:47 am rating: 1

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#27 a-Arialist

The really bizarre thing is that book has a bunch of five-star reviews on Amazon, and it’s not even been published yet…

Aug 30, 2012 at 3:23 am rating: 3 small thumbs up

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#27.1 kathlynn

it’s called advanced reader copy, they are unedited and set out for people to review and help catch mistakes.

Aug 30, 2012 at 5:39 am rating: 4
#27.2 kermit

Some Amazon reviews are made up. See, for example any screen-grab from above, “Uh-pinions” where many people review watches that cost six figures.

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:46 am rating: 3
#27.3 a-Arialist

Kathlynn – it’s pretty clear that none of them have read the book. The reviews say things like ‘I can’t wait for this book to come out!’.

Aug 31, 2012 at 4:01 am rating: 2

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#28 zomboid

dear commenters of the internet,
‘entitled’ does not mean what you think it means
that is all.

Aug 30, 2012 at 7:58 am rating: 4 small thumbs up

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#28.1 Vulpis

Depends on the usage of it. In general, when someone uses ‘entitled’ or ‘entitlement’ in Internet commentary, it’s in a mocking, ironic, or sarcastic tone, refering to someone like the little girl in this PAN who feels that she is ‘entitled’ to her e-book, right this instant, despite little problems like her attitude on the situation and the fact that the book does not yet exist in mass-market form.

Sep 3, 2012 at 4:43 pm rating: 3

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#29 Eileen

Unless Grandma gave the Kindle to her as a birthday present, I think we can safely assume that Mom paid for the Kindle, and Mom should take it away until she apologizes for being a brat. And damn right you’re not leaving your room. Grounded, big time.

Aug 30, 2012 at 8:00 am rating: 13 small thumbs up

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#30 Fireseeker

On one hand, I want to commend this child for holding out on her mother over a book and not some senseless toy, but on the other hand I want to slap her for sassing her mother.
On the other hand, maybe her mother deserves that for buying her child an expensive electronic device.
On the other hand . . . there is no other hand.

Aug 30, 2012 at 8:25 am rating: 4 small thumbs up

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#31 Jadzia

A lot of assumptions being made here about the kid, the Kindle, and the intended tone of the letter. I’m sure it is entirely possible that she is a spoiled brat as y’all assume. Then again, she may be like my kid who I could see writing exactly such a letter to me. If my daughter borrows my Kindle from me for five minutes, she starts proclaiming that it is her Kindle now. Because there is always the chance that Mom will have a moment of insanity and say “Okay, sure, it’s yours now.” And she occasionally makes dramatic threats if she feels strongly about something and she is frustrated over her lack of control over the situation. That is my cue to sit down with her and help her to understand why she can’t get what she wants and discuss alternatives. Then there are times when she will say “Duh!” because she knows how I would react to that (very negatively) and she is trying to get a rise out of me. When I realize what she’s doing, I turn the tables and soon we are both laughing at our silliness. In short, she’s a lively, engaging child who does know her limits but feels safe to test them in a loving home.

The girl who wrote the letter could be the same way. Or she could be a spoiled brat with a parent at her beck and call. But here’s something else to chew on: I think her aunt would not have sent it in if she really thought her niece was horrid. If that is what she thinks of her, I think the passive aggressive one is the aunt for outing her sister’s bad parenting.

Aug 30, 2012 at 8:40 am rating: 31 small thumbs up

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#31.1 NomNom

Oh my! Now Jadzia knows how to parent!

Edit: Seriously, that’s not sarcastic at all. Good for you!

Aug 30, 2012 at 9:45 am rating: 4
#31.2 deprogrammed

You know that’s a bunch of first world hooey. The kid is both aggressive and disrespectful. If she can bully her mom this way, imagine what she does to others.

And if you think it’s ok that your kid treats you that way, fine. But once she’s dealing with others, you better hope she understands that the rest of the world doesn’t even know her, much less like or love her, and won’t care about discussing alternatives.

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:34 pm rating: 26
#31.3 Boda

Deprogrammed, I’d like to know how you would teach a child that she doesn’t always get what she wants without doing exactly what Jadzia says…sitting the kid down and telling her she won’t get what she wants and why. “Alternatives” doesn’t mean capitulating, it means being reasonable and showing you care.

Besides, who said the mother of the notewriter above gave in to the demands? Nobody! That means mom wasn’t bullied and the kid pouted inside for a day.

Aug 30, 2012 at 2:08 pm rating: 6
#31.4 Kirsty

The easiest way to teach a kid they don’t always get what they want is … don’t always give them what they want. (not to say you shouldn’t talk about it too.)

Aug 30, 2012 at 4:13 pm rating: 9
#31.5 Jadzia

Thank you, Boda. I think the best way for a person to have a mature approach to not getting what they want is to learn not to dwell on what they didn’t get and to realize that there are a world of opportunities and alternatives that can make them just as happy or more as the thing they wanted. I think the world will actually appreciate such a person when they’ve grown into that understanding.

And I think you have something to learn, Deprogrammed, by not dismissing people – especially children – by a single snapshot of their life of which you’ve been given the barest amount of information. I consider knee jerk judgment to be first world hooey.

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:11 pm rating: 6
#31.6 dancingnancy

Way to go, Jadzia.

Aug 30, 2012 at 9:22 pm rating: 1
#31.7 deprogrammed

Maturity is relative, jadzia. Part of a kid’s job is to push the limits; there are acceptable ways to push those limits. The methods used by these kids is not one of those. Threatening your parents, no matter how inconsequential the end? Nope, that doesn’t warrant discussion, explanation, or review. You don’t do it. At all. Ever. Threats as leverage are an absolute no.

Aug 30, 2012 at 10:07 pm rating: 10
#31.8 Trainer

I’m a dog trainer, not a parent, but the way mammals learn is pretty much the same across the board. When a dog (or child) exhibits a behavior that you do not want to see repeated, the BEST way to extinguish the behavior is through extinction. The only way to do that is (with dogs) to remove whatever was reinforcing the behavior to begin with, then letting the dog “get it out of his system” through what we call an extinction burst. What this means is that the behavior gets suddenly much worse, then stops completely. You see that when you don’t get a soda from a vending machine. You smash the button really hard, then shake the machine. With kids, you have the advantage of using reason in addition to an extinction burst, which makes extinction that much faster.

Sep 1, 2012 at 11:05 am rating: 4
#31.9 Vulpis

Hate to say it, but if your kid borrows something and then starts claiming it belongs to them…they’re a spoiled brat in serious need of education, much like the subject of this PAN.

*reads more of Jadzia’s reponses* And to be equally honest, I feel sorry for your kid when they get out into the real world–because they’re going to *keep* ‘testing the limits’ like that, expecting to get nothing more than The Lecture…and instead get punished in some far worse manner, depending on the situation. You need to teach them to either not keep pulling that, or at the very least to make very sure of what the potential consequences of their actions are before they try it.

Sep 3, 2012 at 4:46 pm rating: 3

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#32 Kwyjor

Team Spoiled Brat! If this person were any kind of mother she would be storming the offices of the publishing house with picket signs and demanding an early release so as not to cause her daughter to suffer for a moment longer!

Or something like that. Or not.

Aug 30, 2012 at 9:36 am rating: 13 small thumbs up

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#33 Dane Zeller

Y’all have the naivete of seven-year old children. An obnoxious note from Samantha and Sophie? Hah! Samantha and Sophie are employed in the marketing department of Harper Collins. You just fell for one of the best sales ploy I’ve ever seen. Don’t you get it? “Yellow Fang’s Secret,” coming to your bookstore in October!!!!! Ha!

Aug 30, 2012 at 10:55 am rating: 17 small thumbs up

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#34 havingfitz

Sorry, I just can’t excuse talking to a parent like that. I can’t really excuse talking to anyone like that. Parents don’t do their children any favors by allowing it: sooner or later the child has to go out into the real world. I’ve watched young employees where I work try this kind of thing with our bosses: all it gets them is thrown out the door.

Aug 30, 2012 at 11:14 am rating: 9 small thumbs up

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#34.1 The Elf

It’s the “Duh” part. Everything else isn’t nearly as bad.

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:29 pm rating: 6

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#35 Boda

Considering that books are about the best thing for a kid’s development, I would say take something ELSE away from her – like TV or Internet privileges. I would say that I owe my present intelligence today to the fact that my mother never denied me a book – and no matter how hard I was grounded I could always watch science documentaries and read books.

And parents, don’t give something to your kids if it’s not really going to be theirs. Kids already feel a loss of control in their life – parents tell them where they can play, what they can eat, what they can wear, what their hair will look like, when their bedtime is…pretty much everything. If you give them an item on their birthday and tell them that it’s theirs, it better damn well be and no guilt tripping. It’s just about the ONLY thing in their lives that they have control over, and to take items away with a “Well you didn’t WORK for it like -I- did!” is just…rude. And petty. Of course they couldn’t work for it, they’re kids and that’s illegal (and as a kid I would’ve said that if that argument was used). There are better ways to discipline a child. How about explaining to them how they’re being inconsiderate instead of just smacking them and yanking something out of their hands. Sure, they might learn not to do it, but it doesn’t teach them WHY they shouldn’t do it. They grow up into the person who isn’t sorry for something they said but the fact that someone overheard them.

Sorry for the rant, this is more of a discourse on parenting in general and doesn’t really have anything to do with this but…man, I’m so tired of parents taking the lazy route and not thinking about long-term development…

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:33 pm rating: 15 small thumbs up

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#35.1 Bookmark

Agreed. I do see a lot of comments saying to take the Kindle away or get rid of it, but I like to assume that they also mean for the mother to explain to the children a) why she can’t fulfill their request and b) exactly what they are being punished for.

I’m glad your mom had her priorities straight when it came to punishment! Mine was the opposite. She knew I loved the read, so she and my stepdad would take all the books out of my room and would threaten to burn them all if I didn’t bring my grades up (after my parents divorced, my grades went from all A’s to a mix of A’s, B’s, and the occasional C). They’d hold them hostage anywhere from 3-4 weeks, but I learned early on to hide whatever I was currently reading in a drawer or inside my pillowcase.

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:41 pm rating: 2
#35.2 Boda

Ugh, that sounds horrible! I definitely would have run away from home over that. Taking away a kid’s most precious item really only generates resentment and distrust – and the idea that the parent doesn’t care about what they’re feeling.

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:58 pm rating: 1
#35.3 kermit

Boda, the point is precisely that the kid maybe didn’t “work” for it, i.e. didn’t earn it by doing the work that kids are supposed to do (study, behave, clean up after themselves, etc).

Kids who sound this bratty usually have parents who just give them stuff without making them earn it because they can rationalize that the thing the kid is asking for is educational, better than an inappropriate video game, etc.

The nicest kids I’ve met had/have parents who taught them that they have to earn the stuff they want and that the rest of the world doesn’t “owe” them everything just because they ask for it.

And maybe it’s just the way that I’m parsing Boda’s statements, but I have yet to see good parents “explain” the whys to their children. There’s basically only three main ones: (1) you’re not old enough (2) you didn’t work hard enough to earn it (3) we can’t afford it

Aug 30, 2012 at 3:04 pm rating: 8
#35.4 The Elf

I had books taken away as a child. It was because when I got grounded (Elf! Go to your room!) I’d say “Okay” and happily spend the “sentence” stretched out on my bed and reading. It wasn’t much of a punishment. So they started grounding me AND taking away my books. When the grounding was over, I got my books back.

I don’t think it sowed mistrust or inhibited my development. It was just another form of punishment, and a pretty effective one for me.

Aug 30, 2012 at 3:19 pm rating: 6
#35.5 Clumber

Yupper, Elf ! (35.4). Sounds like my experience. What was worse, though, is when they confiscated my flashlight that I used for sneaking reading into ridiculous hours of the night…. I was genetically hard-wired as a night-owl, dangit! “I saw you do it, Dad! I learned it from you!!” heh

NOTHING was worse than disappointing my dad. I actually recall tearfully begging my dad to spank or ground me instead. Seriously. To this day (I am 45 or something now) I fear disappointing him.

Aug 30, 2012 at 4:10 pm rating: 5
#35.6 dancingnancy

“Boda, the point is precisely that the kid maybe didn’t “work” for it, i.e. didn’t earn it by doing the work that kids are supposed to do (study, behave, clean up after themselves, etc).”

You don’t have to earn gifts. That’s why they’re called “gifts.”

Aug 30, 2012 at 9:25 pm rating: 6
#35.7 Torii

My mom had us sign contracts. Excluding Christmas and birthday gifts, any big ticket item came with a contract. Usually along the lines of “Torii has to clean this and this, and keep them clean. Failure to do so will cause mom to take it away.” It was a gift with strings attatched that she could pull at any moment. It taught me to earn what I wanted, and I got a new toy. She didn’t do it all too often, but occasionally took it away until I fulfilled my contract. I think it was a good way of doing things. I couldn’t exactly argue when I signed a contract.

Aug 30, 2012 at 10:27 pm rating: 4
#35.8 Vulpis

@dancingnancy Actually, they’re both gifts *and* rewards–especially when it’s something in the range of a Kindle. You get something as a gift–but you get a *better* something if you earn something better (presuming that the budget has room for getting something better, anyway).

As for ‘work’–funny, there used to be these concepts of ‘chores’ and ‘allowances’ which were fundamentally a child doing work around the house and being paid for it…and were in fact pretty decent training for what they’d expect out in the real world (including getting far too little money for the amount of actual work being done…)

Sep 3, 2012 at 5:00 pm rating: 3

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#36 Bookmark

I’m under the impression that the submitter’s daughters have missed out on a few time-outs over the years… some parents don’t realize that, by not employing any kind of discipline or punishment for bad behavior, they are being BAD parents. And there are plenty of appropriate methods of discipline that don’t involve pain.

Aug 30, 2012 at 1:37 pm rating: 7 small thumbs up

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#37 Ely North

If I was the mom, I’d be like “Fine. Stay in your room. I don’t want to see your ugly face anyway.” I can’t wait to be a parent!

Aug 30, 2012 at 3:35 pm rating: 7 small thumbs up

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#38 speak it

I would be like “you promise you are not coming out of your room? GOOD” Then I’d lock that little twerp in her room with zero access to social media or any type of technology except a good old book and a flashlight. No lamps light bulbs, NOTHIN! Maybe I’d push some food if under the door if I were nice….

Aug 30, 2012 at 6:37 pm rating: 2 small thumbs up

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#39 havingfitz

I’d love to hear from the submitter on this one. Samantha’s Aunt: what is your niece really like? Is she usually a nice kid who was just having a bad day, or is this standard behavior from her? There’s all kinds of opinions on here about her, but I’m curious what the truth is.

Aug 30, 2012 at 7:51 pm rating: 2 small thumbs up

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#40 KH

I’ve felt like sending a similar note to George R.R. Martin. “I will not leave my house until you DUH finish writing book 6.”

Aug 31, 2012 at 12:55 am rating: 9 small thumbs up

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#40.1 The Elf

Fine, but I’m killing off another Stark.

Aug 31, 2012 at 6:23 am rating: 2
#40.2 Trainer

Please let it be Bran. I can’t be bothered to get through another 900 pages of an 8 year old warging tediously into a tree.

Sep 3, 2012 at 12:40 pm rating: 3

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#41 BiblioBabe

Wait, are we freaking out on the kid for wanting to read? Really? Yeah, she sounds like a spoiled brat in this note and I have no way of knowing whether or not she is actually a brat in real life. But:
1. She did not spawn herself. If she is a brat, it’s her parents’ fault.
2. If she did not earn the money to buy her own kindle, it was given to her by a family member–probably her parent(s).
3. If her parents bought her a kindle, they at the very least implicitly agreed to run her book purchased through one of their credit cards, and more likely agreed to outright buy the books.
4. A CHILD IS WANTING TO READ A BOOK. CELEBRATE THAT.

Aug 31, 2012 at 5:50 am rating: 3 small thumbs up

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#41.1 The Elf

I understand your point – so few kids these days really enjoy reading for pleasure. I was hoping the Harry Potter craze would change that, but instead it was pretty much just limited to Harry Potter. Oh well.

However, for some kids, reading is as fundamental as breathing and eating. It’s going to happen, no matter what. If not the Warriors Yellowfang book, then White Fang. If not that, then the local newspaper (likely fluff pieces and comics, but still). Or whatever magazines are around. Or internet articles. Or she’ll discover a paper copy of an old favorite under her bed and read that until it falls apart. My grandmother once said to me when I was a kid “You’d read a fly’s ass if it had words on it.” And she was right. If I could comprehend the words, I was reading them.

This kid is being a brat. It might be her usual state of being, it might not be. But if she’s pitching a fit because she is so eagerly anticipating a new book, she’s likely one of *those* readers. You won’t be able to stop this kid from reading. You can take away the Kindle, but that’ll just be a temporary delay. It won’t actually discourage her. If you celebrated her reading, you’d be celebrating around the clock.

The kids you need to be careful about discouraging from reading are the ones who are just getting into it. They haven’t established those life-long habits yet, if they ever do. They read only when something really grabs their interest; if there isn’t anything that really jumps out at them they’ll find something else to do. If nothing grabs their interest for a long time, they’ll lose that habit of reading for pleasure and it becomes just another bit of homework for school. THAT is the kind of reader you celebrate and take pains to avoid discouraging the act of reading.

Aug 31, 2012 at 6:40 am rating: 7
#41.2 anonymoose

I wholeheartedly agree with Elf. Except about the Harry Potter and kids who don’t read bit.

I worked in a bookstore during the time that a majority of Harry Potter was being released. While there were a lot of kids who only read Harry Potter, there were quite a few who branched out and read other things. I lost count of how many kids I helped trying to find other books that they would also want to read. My brother was one of these too. He did not read at all until Harry Potter and afterwards and even now as an adult he constantly bugs me for reading recommendations.

Aug 31, 2012 at 12:20 pm rating: 1
#41.3 Madrias

I’ll say this: Harry Potter was my gateway drug. Then I got hooked on Lord of the Rings and many other good fantasy books.

Of course, I can’t put down any of John Grisham’s books, either. My greatest gift to myself ever was a little Nook Color for reading all these good books on. No more paper copies all over the house.

Sep 1, 2012 at 2:20 am rating: 0
#41.4 Vulpis

My view on the whole thing, especially as an avid book-devourer myself? She’s *still* acting in an unacceptable manner. At the *very* least she doesn’t deserve the new book until at least a half-year later when all her friends have already read it, discussed it, and gone on to something else.
If she has shelves of dead-tree books, then take away the Kindle (*not* destroy it, just take it away), and leave her with only the printed books to read until she straightens up. If the Kindle is the only reading material she has, put a block on it to prevent anything new from being added to it, leaving her with only the material stored on it until she learns to behave. If she’s the kind of reader I was, not having anything *new* to read would be plenty of punishment by itself.

Sep 3, 2012 at 5:19 pm rating: 2

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#42 Ray K.

You will not write a note like that! You will show me the respect I deserve! (Takes out gun and shoots kindle several times.)

Aug 31, 2012 at 9:57 am rating: 0 small thumbs up

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#43 Katie

I think it´s okay for her to have a Kindle. Maybe she reads a lot and it was her birthday present. Fine. I just don´t like how she doesn´t appreciate it at all. She´s like, “Oh yeah, you gave me a very expensive e-reader, now give me another book!”

I think she just doesn´t know that these things cost a lot of money. That Warriors book is about $ 10 and it might seem cheap, but still her mother has to earn that money and it seems to me like she thinks it comes out of nowhere and that´s not okay.

Aug 31, 2012 at 10:55 am rating: 3 small thumbs up

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#43.1 Madrias

Not to mention that books aren’t always available instantly on digital media.

After all, as someone who’s an avid reader, and has, on some occasions, burned over $300 on buying e-books and reading them in a month, I do know the cost of books and how much work goes into getting them.

A child behaving like a spoiled brat because they can’t get the book yet is not acceptable. I remember more than my fair share of times as a kid being told “Maybe next week.” or “Maybe next payday.” on books, then that day came and it was “Perhaps next time,” which meant I eventually learned a pretty good lesson:

If you want it that bad, save up for it and buy it yourself.

Sep 1, 2012 at 2:24 am rating: 3

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#44 Ace of Space

Veruca? Is that you?

Aug 31, 2012 at 3:44 pm rating: 3 small thumbs up

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#45 SugarPlum

When my daughter was 4 she once spouted off a remark similar to this…it was after I refused to buy her ANOTHER stuffed animal, she had a ridiculous amount. She said, “Well if I can’t have that toy I am just going to rip the heads off all my stuffed toys!” I was quiet disturbed to hear this come out of her mouth..so I went and got a trash bag and handed it to her and said, “No need, put all of them in the trash bag and take it to the dumpster”. It was an impulse parenting moment, but I wasn’t about to stand by and let her be such a brat (I realized in hind sight I should of donated them before you point that out). Anyways, it was a lesson she never forgot. She is 7 now and every now and then she will mention a “favorite” animal she had to throw away but she is very remorseful of her actions and it has NEVER happened again! She watches her tongue closely now .

Aug 31, 2012 at 11:54 pm rating: 12 small thumbs up

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#45.1 Madrias

Congratulations! We’ve got a parent who understands that their kid is not their friend. Thank you!

If I might ask, did you put them in the bag or did you have her do it?

I recall a few times I mouthed off to Dad in a similar way (I think it was over toy cars) and he made me put all of them in the trash bag myself. Worst 2 hours ever.

Sep 1, 2012 at 2:27 am rating: 2
#45.2 havingfitz

Good for you! The best time for them to learn that some things are unacceptable is when they’re young.

Sep 1, 2012 at 9:20 am rating: 3
#45.3 Vulpis

Hmmm. On the one hand I’m glad this tactic worked for you. On the other hand, actually permanantly taking away/destroying them could have backfired very badly. I could see her ending up proclaiming to everone she possibly could that ‘I’m not allowed to have anything, Mommy will just make me throw it away anyway.’ …especially if Grandma comes along and tries to get her a stuffed animal knowing she likes them…

A possible better alternative might be to lock them away, and make her earn them back with good behavior. Then again, I’m not a parent myself.. *shrug*

Sep 3, 2012 at 5:10 pm rating: 2

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#46 TurnOffTheDarnLights

My mom would have walked up to me, taken that Kindle and not let me have it back for a long while, if ever.

She’s an awesome mom, but the mouthing off and ingratitude would NOT be tolerated.

Sep 2, 2012 at 11:47 am rating: 4 small thumbs up

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#47 Mega

Completely unacceptable behavior. But judging from the sheer balls of that note, this isn’t the first time Samantha has made demands. Mom needs to take her up on her offer of never leaving her room. And she needs to lose her Kindle and anything else she doesn’t appreciate.

Sep 5, 2012 at 7:18 am rating: 2 small thumbs up

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#48 K

You gave this little turd their own Kindle? No wonder they write notes like this. Do you lie down flat on the ground before you let them walk all over you? Sometimes the old song from the original Willy Wonka really applies. “Who do you blame when a kid is a… BRAT?”

Sep 6, 2012 at 4:02 pm rating: 1 small thumbs up

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#49 Fog

What would taking the kindle away achieve? She already can’t use it in the way she wants. I am not a fan of gifts to children being ‘owned’ by their parents. I also wonder if the writers of the many comments advocating the kindle’s removal are aware of how kindles work? I think an effective response to this letter would be to simply ignore it. Eventually the child would realize that while the kindle is hers to use, it is up to her to pay for her own reading material (and wait for it to be released) and that ridiculous threats are worthy of no attention whatsoever.

Sep 8, 2012 at 10:21 am rating: 0 small thumbs up

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#50 Pixie

This is what happens when people stop spanking their kids.

I would never think of speaking in that way to my mother, Nor would I now.

Sep 26, 2012 at 12:06 pm rating: 0 small thumbs up

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funny (if not necessarily "passive-aggressive") notes from pissed-off people

August 29th, 2012 · 153 comments

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